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Call Northside 777 Page #9
- APPROVED
- Year:
- 1948
- 112 min
- 160 Views
of Frank Wiecek.
You may present
the evidence, Mr. Burns.
Unfortunately, gentlemen...
my telephone conversation with Mr. McNeal
was necessarily brief.
He's flying down to Springfield.
He should be here at any moment.
What evidence does he have?
What evidence does he have?
- I'm afraid I don't know.
- Mr. Chairman.
- Mr. Faxon.
- I object.
The state's attorney's office
has the right to demand...
orthodox conduct of this hearing.
If you have conclusive evidence,
present it.
Otherwise, we ask that the petition be
denied here and now.
Mr. Faxon, we certainly
intend to follow...
orthodox procedure in
this board of pardons.
[ Whispering ] Kelly's sending it
over the A.P. wire.
- Have you got anything at all?
- I don't have a thing.
We'll just have to stall them.
- Let me talk to them.
- All right.
Mr. Chairman, gentlemen...
I'd like to ask your permission to have
Mr. McNeal of the Chicago Times...
address the board.
- Granted.
- Thank you, sir.
Mr. Chairman, gentlemen,
I'd like to apologize for being late...
but it was just impossible for me
to get here sooner.
I, uh-- I don't know
how much Mr. Burns has told you.
Strictly from a reporter's
point of view, understand...
I've assembled what I feel
is a very solid case.
And of what does
this case consist?
Well, it consists of such debatable items
as a lie-detector test.
Now, I realize that you're unable
to accept that.
You want evidence.
But sometimes the weight of evidence,
just because it's in the record...
is heavy enough
to crush the truth.
We'll discuss the shortcomings of our
judicial system some other time, Mr. McNeal.
Yes, sir. I'm sorry.
I realize that at the present time
you want facts.
We have a notarized affidavit...
from the bailiff
ofJudge Moulton's court...
that the judge felt that Wiecek
did not receive a fair trial.
We have those documents
before us, Mr. McNeal.
They could hardly
be called conclusive.
Yes, sir. But as you probably know
from those documents...
Gruska and Decker contradicted Wanda Skutnik's
testimony, and those affidavits bear them out.
The board is aware
of that, too, Mr. McNeal.
But Wanda Skutnik has not altered
her testimony, has she?
Wanda Skutnik lied
from beginning to end!
She lied about everything!
You know, it's a very funny thing
about the statue ofjustice up there.
She has a sword in her hand.
It's a double-edged sword.
Cuts both ways.
It keeps cutting the ground out...
from under everything
but the other side of it,
that isn't so sharp.
It doesn't cut the ground
out from under Wanda Skutnik...
and she's the only one responsible
for Wiecek's conviction!
Now, I have a police record here
that proves that Wiecek was arrested...
on the 22nd of December.
I have another one here...
that proves he wasn't booked
until the 23rd of December, one day later.
Okay. Wanda Skutnik testified...
that she didn't see him
from the time of the murder...
until the time she identified him
in the police lineup.
Here's a photograph
of Frank Wiecek...
going into a police station.
Now, take a look at that,
gentlemen. That's new.
And that's the basis
of my conclusive evidence.
The two photostats
of the police records...
merely indicate
that some time elapsed...
between Wiecek's arrest
and the time he was booked.
As a reporter, you know very well that this
is a common occurrence at police stations.
Yes, sir, but what about
that photograph?
It must be perfectly obvious to you,
Mr. McNeal...
that we have no way of knowing
when this picture was taken.
Was it on the 22nd or the 23rd?
Yes, sir. I know. Gentlemen,
that's what delayed me.
Now, if I do prove that that photograph
was taken on the 22nd of December...
one day before Wanda Skutnik identified
Frank Wiecek in the police lineup--
How about that? What then?
In that event, Mr. McNeal...
we might be obliged
to render a favorable decision.
- But can you prove it?
- Yes, sir. I think I can.
I just need a little time.
Time? Do you mean to say that you
still have no corroborating evidence?
No, I'm not sure.
The police laboratory
down in Chicago is enlarging...
this section of the photograph.
- Now, if the enlarging process--
- Yes, I know.
But how long will this take?
As soon as the enlargement is developed,
they're gonna send it...
over the wire photo system
from the Chicago Times...
to the Illinois StateJournal,
which is just a few blocks down here.
Now, all I ask, gentlemen,
is that you go down there...
- and see that thing with me.
- I object!
The methods of publicity previously used
in behalf of the plaintiff...
indicate that this may
rightly be regarded as an attempt...
to make journalistic capital
of this hearing.
I am authorized by the state's attorney's
office to state categorically...
that in the opinion of our office,
the facts set forth in Wiecek's behalf....
do not indicate that he was a victim of
a miscarriage of justice.
We're here to protect the interests of
the people of this state...
- not to sell newspapers.
- Mr. Chairman...
gentlemen...
the governor ordered this hearing
for the purpose...
of arriving at the truth.
If you fail to consider
every item of evidence...
no matter how
improperly presented...
you have defeated
the very purpose of this hearing.
What is your decision,
Mr. Chairman?
Gentlemen, we'll go.
- Are you clear to Springfield?
- Yes, sir. The wire's open.
Well, hold it open.
I'll have the picture in a minute.
- Which one's McNeal?
- Yeah, right here.
Here are a couple of prints that came in
a while ago from Kelly of the Times.
This one's blown up
a hundred times.
This one 140.
- He said you'd understand.
- Okay. Thanks very much.
Excuse me.
Ask them if they're ready.
- Springfield, are you ready for this picture?
- We're ready.
- Okay. Here's the final lineup.
- Okay.
All ready, Mr. McNeal.
Gentlemen, let me explain
to you what's happening here.
As you remember,
this is the picture I showed you before.
And this is the area we're working on
right here-- the newsboy.
All right. Now, this print
is that area...
enlarged a hundred times.
And this print
is that same area...
enlarged 140 times.
Now, the picture
coming in now...
is this area right in here...
blown up as big as possible.
Well, what do you expect
to find in the enlargement?
The date on the newspaper
held in the newsboy's hand.
Is that possible?
Frankly, I don't know, sir.
It depends on
a whole lot of things--
the condition of the dupe negative,
the density of the print, the--
I've been doing
That's it, Mr. McNeal.
Excuse me, please.
- How long will this take?
- Oh, it's a positive print. Shouldn't take long.
You can come along
with me if you want.
This way, gentlemen.
Remember, this is the area
I showed you.
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